Thanos Payoff is Still 'Years' Away, Marvel's Kevin Feige Says

The grin seen 'round the world in Marvel's The Avengers was just the beginning. An appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy is the next step. But after that? It could be quite a while before moviegoers feel the full force of Thanos.

Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige spoke with The Huffington Post about plans for the Mad Titan as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand. Asked if Thanos is something like "the end boss in a video game," Feige said, "That's a fair analogy, yes."

"It's also, you look at some classic story lines in the comics and they tease out characters like that — big bads like that — for sometimes years," he continued. "I think Walter Simonson was teasing Surter for years before he popped up. It's fun to have the luxury to build somebody up like that."

In other words, settle in for a long ride, Marvel fans: don't expect Thanos as the lead villain in any of these movies for another few years at least.